Burmese Python- a massive reptile with a deadly grasp
Baku, May 30, AZERTAC
Burmese pythons, with their beautifully patterned skin, are considered among the largest snakes on Earth.
Native to the jungles and grassy marshes of Southeast Asia, Burmese pythons are capable of reaching 23 feet or more in length and weighing up to 200 pounds with a girth as big as a telephone pole.
When young, they will spend much of their time in the trees. However, as they mature and their size and weight make tree climbing unwieldy, they transition to mainly ground-dwelling.
They are also excellent swimmers, and can stay submerged for up to 30 minutes before surfacing for air.
Burmese pythons are carnivores, surviving primarily on small mammals and birds. They have poor eyesight, and stalk prey using chemical receptors in their tongues and heat-sensors along the jaws.
They kill by constriction, grasping a victim with their sharp teeth, coiling their bodies around the animal, and squeezing until it suffocates. Having stretchy ligaments in their jaws enables them to swallow all their food whole.
Habitat depletion, continued demand for Burmese pythons in the pet trade, and hunting for their skins and flesh have landed these graceful giants on the threatened species list.
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